Thursday, June 21, 2012

Giveaway and Guest Post with author Louis Corsair and his book Absolution

Hello and Welcome to this stop on Louis's tour! This book had quite a unique premise, and was curious as to what inspired this book. This is what Louis had to say:

It’s sunny and warm in Los Angeles County. In the
streets, it’s difficult to look at anything because of the glare. In tight
spaces like public buses, you sweat because the air conditioning is not
sufficient to fight off the heat. Around you, men and women stir restlessly.
Sweat forms on your forehead and you catch a whiff of body odor here and
there--was that the stench of urine that hit your nose just now?

When men and women of different races and different
cultural backgrounds sit in tight places like Los Angeles, trouble stirs. It is
hot, more than the temperature of 70 + degrees accounts for. It makes your skin
itch to hear music played too loud or conversations spoken in some foreign
language--just why are they laughing while looking at you? Someone will pick a
fight somewhere, a gunfight will ensue--maybe in Compton or Watts, but it could
very well be in the Valley or Long Beach or Santa Monica. Did you hear about
the Asian students shot in their BMW near the campus of the University of
Southern California? They think it was a carjacking gone wrong. Here
carjackings go wrong and people die.

And ironically, it is lonely here. I sit now in the
University Student Union of Long Beach State University, where they have the
restaurants. I finished lunch not long ago and noted how empty the place is.
The semester is over. Students have moved on to summer activities; the
international students have gone home; out of state students have gone home;
the dorms are quiet. There are people around but it is practically a ghost
town.

Nikki asked me what inspired me to write Absolution.
This is the answer: The city. Los Angeles brews with cultural diversity. We
live here and believe that if you throw us all in the same pot that we will
learn to love one another. It’s what I call the urban fantasy of modern
America. But we try.

To a writer, this city is golden. I’ve often been
asked why I don’t use an exotic location, like the Bahamas or Egypt, in my
stories. Why? Everything you need to write a story about the human condition
can be found right down the street, down Wilshire or Hollywood Boulevard or
maybe Grape Street or Sunset Boulevard.

I don’t mean that we have plenty of tourist
attractions--these are exotic too. True, we have many places that tourists love
to visit with their cameras. Have you seen the Venice Canals? Just like the
city of Venice, Italy! Just be careful with the Skin-heads. What I meant is
that there is ample magic in its neighborhoods and communities, enough to
create a world of stories. It’s just that this is not Middle Earth. We have an
assortment of gangs, not elves or dwarves. But I digress...

Even with the cool air from the vents filling this
near-empty hall, sweat still forms on my forehead. A Hispanic woman in a
sundress came in and ordered something from the Subway restaurant. Most young
women here are in skimpy attire. It draws attention. It didn’t help that the
Hispanic gal was good looking. Quickly enough, eyes found her. One fellow in
particular stuck with her after she received her sandwich. He tried to make
small talk. He was awkward, his speech blurred with excitement. She was polite.
It was creepy. He held the door open for her, but she lingered at the drink
dispenser. He didn’t leave and tried to start a new conversation about the
Clippers losing and the Lakers and their chances. It was creepier. I
instinctively turned to where the emergency station sits with its blue button
of safety glowing just in case. Just in case more sweat formed on my face.

I didn’t pay attention, but when I next saw her,
she was alone, eating. Women could write entire novels about such encounters.
This city is a wonderful backdrop for them.

Let me clear something up. The entire city of Los
Angeles isn’t one big gunfight. This is the City of Angels after all. There are
decent men and women struggling to find some balance, but they are only human
and sometimes they break. This city can break you. If you visit Santa Monica
College you’ll see what’s left of men and women after they break. The broken
wander in the cafeteria, trying to mingle with the students who want to
transfer out of there as soon as possible. Every semester they are there.
Teachers will sometimes allow them to sit in their classes--most can’t afford
to pay tuition or rent or clothing expenses. What stories they could tell!

But
this is my city. I will probably die of old age here. And until I do, I will
continue to keep a pen hand and a notepad, listening to the melody of urban
life. There are stories here and I will try to record as many as I can.

If
you pick up Absolution, just know
that the setting isn’t just a prop. It’s the place I call home.

Now let's take a look at the book details and peek inside:

In 1947, a gangster murders private investigator Raymond Adams. In 2011, he's brought back to life for 24 hours to solve the supernatural murder of a Hollywood Adult film star.

When the son of a Pit Lord is murdered in Hollywood, the celestial beings in charge of the Four Realms ask Raymond Adams to figure who did it and find the victim's missing soul. Without memories of his life, he accepts the case to gain eternal peace. But the job is daunting:

24 hours to nab a killer...
24 hours to find a missing soul...
24 hours to unravel the victim's exotic private life...
24 hours to stop a plot to send the universe into chaos...

With only the help of a possessed cop and a medium, Adams must trek through a Hollywood underground filled with pornography, prostitutes, the homeless, and sadists, along with supernatural monsters. But can he solve the case when his own haunting memories keep surfacing, telling him exactly what kind of man he was in life?

Excerpt:

I was in a preparation chamber made completely out of light.
I hovered like a cloud watching child-like celestials regenerate and reanimate
my corpse. They didn’t bother with new clothes and simply fixed up the suit I
had been buried in. When finished, they vacuumed me into my old body, a loving
experience I could only compare to dying.

“Cold...” I said and my throat was dry like the Mojave in
the middle of summer. They explained my body was mostly dead but this would
improve as time passed. To help me with the shivers, the merciful celestials
threw in a brown overcoat, shoes, and a fedora.

“Gun,” I said. True I was dead, but the people I was going
to deal with were not and I had a feeling they would want to stay that way.
Protection was necessary.

They gave me a revolver loaded with ten Thunderbolt bullets.
I also got a good watch to keep track of time, an enchanted magnifying glass,
and a special rune to communicate with the Committee. The big people wanted
regular updates on my progress.

The celestials opened a portal to the Realm of the Living
and sent me through it.

Louis is running a tour long giveaway for a great prize pack which is international! You can check out the details here. Would you like a chance to win a copy of this book? Just fill out the rafflecopter!! Can't wait? Well Louis is running a special on it throughout the tour!! You can pick it up for .99!!!

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The books I review here at CEWTNK are either bought by me or gifted through giveaways, hops or R.A.K.
I do not receive money for my reviews on books that are provided to me by the publisher or author of the book. These books are sent to me for an honest review.
I am also a host for different blog tour sites and receive books to review for blog tours but again I read and review these for free and give my honest opinion in my review.